Nonprofit CEO calls on parents to help reduce youth violence
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Wednesday marks a week since a deadly mass shooting happened at a building for Memphis Allies, an anti-gun violence nonprofit.
22-year-old Matthew Williams was killed and five other men were injured.
So far, there have not been any arrests.
WREG spoke with the founder and CEO of a local nonprofit with a similar mission as Memphis Allies.
He said this shooting is a part of a bigger issue.
LaDell Beamon, who founded the Heal the Hood Foundation of Memphis said adults and parents are needed to help reduce youth violence.
On Apr. 9, a drive-by shooting at Memphis Allies, located on South Mendenhall Road, claimed the life of Matthew Williams.
ORIGINAL STORY: 1 dead, 5 men injured in Southeast Memphis shooting
In a statement, the organization said Williams was turning his life around and recently joined its SWITCH program, also known as, 'Support with Intention to Create Hope.'
Beamon said he was disturbed when he heard about the deadly shooting.
'It's very unfortunate,' Beamon said. 'It's actually kind of like a slap in the face to me because you know, there's so many people that want an opportunity to get out and then there are people that are standing in the way of it.'
Similar to Memphis Allies, Beamon's organization's mission is to create positive outlets for the city's youth.
However, he told Your News Leader, that mission does come with challenges.
'Any city that builds with children in mind will win,' Beamon said. 'And so, there's a real large gap in between having to meet the needs of the young people that we're serving and having the resources and the real places to be able to reach those kids.'
Building for anti-gun violence nonprofit becomes site of mass shooting
Beamon said the deadly shooting at Memphis Allies proves that more work needs to be done.
'It's gonna be important this summer to make sure that we're guarding the ear gates of kids, making sure that the right messages are in front of the kids at all times,' Beamon said. 'And then having the right opportunities to fill that leftover space where kids are not being occupied and satisfied in that arena.'
Despite the gun violence that occurred last week, Memphis Allies said it's dedicated to its mission, which includes preventing gun violence and saving the next generation.
Memphis Police are offering a $10,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest in Matthew Williams' deadly shooting.
The victim's family has also set up a GoFundMe for his funeral expenses. If you would like to donate, click here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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